A digital certificate is an electronic document used to prove the identity of a website, organisation, or user. It is issued by a trusted organisation known as a Certificate Authority (CA).

• A website or organisation applies for a certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA)
• The CA verifies the identity of the organisation
• A digital certificate is issued containing:
  • The organisation’s identity
  • Their public key
• When a user connects to a website:
  • The certificate is sent to the user’s browser
  • The browser checks that it is valid and trusted
  • If valid, a secure connection is established

A Certificate Authority (CA) is a trusted organisation that verifies identities and issues digital certificates.

• They confirm that a website or organisation is legitimate before issuing a certificate
• Browsers and operating systems already trust well-known CAs

• Links a public key to a verified identity
• Issued by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA)
• Used in secure websites (HTTPS)
• Helps prevent users connecting to fake or malicious websites

• Confirms the identity of websites and organisations
• Enables secure communication over networks
• Protects users from fraud and impersonation
• Builds trust between users and online services